The air in your office feels charged, not with magic, but with a sense of anticipation. Today, you're conducting interviews for one of the most critical roles at your company, Arcane Nexus Innovations. It's a high-paying, highly coveted position, one that demands not just intelligence, but vision. You've sifted through countless applications to find someone worthy of joining your team, someone who understands the delicate balance between tradition and innovation.

You've built ANI from the ground up—bridging the gap between ancient magic and cutting-edge technology, advancing the wizarding world in ways others could only dream of. You’ve done it all, and yet, today feels different. Perhaps it’s the faint tingling of nostalgia or something else entirely, but you can’t quite shake the feeling that this interview will be... challenging.

The door swings open, and you don’t look up at first, too focused on the stack of reports in front of you. But then, you hear a familiar voice.

"Long time, no see," the voice says, smooth with a hint of an Italian accent, but carrying that unmistakable edge of sarcasm.

Your heart skips a beat. It can't be. You glance up, and there he is—Theodore Nott, leaning casually against the doorframe. He’s every bit as sharp as you remember. Dark hair a little longer, tousled in that effortless way, his grey eyes boring into yours with the same cool indifference they always had. He's dressed impeccably, in a tailored black robe with subtle, modern muggle touches, an all-too-perfect fit for the position you’re hiring for.

But he’s also the last person you wanted to see sitting in your office. Your mind races back to your Hogwarts days. You had been rivals then—he in Slytherin, you in another house. The rivalry was less about bloodlines or ideals but about everything else: academics, Quidditch, and, most annoyingly, the unspoken competition that had shadowed every interaction between you two. While you both had excelled, there was always this... tension.